


The Angry Assassin Squad

by JustAnotherMaybe



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Multi, Not Canon Compliant, Only the serum is a late growth spurt and too much time at the gym, Pining, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Slow Burn, poor steve
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2020-10-04 14:31:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20472599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAnotherMaybe/pseuds/JustAnotherMaybe
Summary: Steve's had his hope broken more times than he can count. It's easier to let someone break your hope than it is to let them break your heart. At least, that's what Steve's been telling himself.





	1. Stood Up

**Author's Note:**

> Apparently everything I write is a college AU. Whoops.

**Steve**

Staring at the bar, he couldn’t believe he’d let her rope him into another one of her plans. The last time, he’d made her promise that she would stop meddling – Steve was absolutely sure he could flirt and be charming and pick up someone just fine, and he didn’t need someone trying to set him up to help him find a decent person to spend a few hours with. He definitely did not need Margaret Carter’s help finding someone.

Okay, maybe he needed a bit of help. But, in his defense, he’d grown up around his grandparents, drowned in tidbits from the 40’s and a smattering of the language they’d brought with them from Ireland. He’d also not really gotten used to the… he wasn’t sure if Peggy had called it a glow-up or a grow-up… or was it a clown-up? She’d called it something, definitely. She’d given a name to his transformation, going from an absolute runt to a behemoth of a man. She’d watched as the same women who wouldn’t have bothered giving him the time of day were suddenly willing to give him… well, certainly a lot more than the time of day. More than a few had been forward. Uncomfortably so.

Waiting at the curb, he wished that his relationship with the beautiful, breathtaking, badass Peggy Carter hadn’t ended. Although it was destined to fail, they’d given it their all – sometimes, even everything isn’t enough to save something. Especially everything.

They’d met during Steve’s freshman year of college, when Steve had taken a history seminar on World War II. She’d been the student assistant to the professor, and, after the final, she’d invited him to the school’s swing-dance club after break. Steve aced his final, and he spent the entire winter vacation thinking about how swell it would be to go dancing with Peggy. She always found his little turns of phrase, inherited from his móraí, incredibly endearing, if not a bit awkward and out-of-place. It fit – Steve existed in a way that wasn’t, taking up space but never fitting into it. Much to his despair, the school had to shut down due to a seemingly endless blizzard – he’d gotten snowed in when he got to campus, trapped in snow and ice for what felt like forever.

By the time he’d finally gotten to see Peggy and get her away for a night on the town – or a night in the swing club’s dance hall, Peggy’d come to a slightly unfortunate realization. Steven Rogers was more than a little bit not particularly interested in women, and he had the hideous talent of mistaking platonic relationships for romantic interest. Two hours into what would have been their first date, Peggy was doing everything she could to keep the laughter from breaking its way through her British exterior, and Steve was sitting with his head between his knees, realizing that the reason he liked Chris Evans and the reason he liked Peggy Carter were drastically different. Abs were definitely a deciding factor. And those pecs… Fuck, those pecs were reason enough. When he’d been in the movie where he’d had the beard? Steve couldn’t believe he hadn’t realized how incredibly gay he was. Unfortunately for him, that meant that Peggy felt personally tasked with helping him find a beautiful man to call his own.

In the beginning, it had probably been the worst. Steve was more than a bit hopeful in Peggy’s friends, believing that they’d treat him kindly. At the very least, he’d hoped, they wouldn’t laugh when they’d find themselves on a date with the short blond who was all knobby knees and toothpick arms, too much nose and funny ears, but a warm smile and full of hope. Peggy had ended those friendships, after she’d learned how they’d gone.

Now, as a junior in college himself, he was not the little kid whose heart had broken the first time a date had laughed when they’d seen him. He certainly wasn’t the child who’d gone and cried on Peggy’s shoulder when his date had gotten one look at him, said ‘nope,’ and left. He’d grown over the summer – it turns out, growth spurts were still a thing after puberty. Yeah, the doctors had been pretty shocked, too. Daily trips to the gym had turned toothpicks into tree trunks. His new wardrobe still didn’t quite fit him well, but he was glad to have traded too baggy for too tight. His heart was wrapped in bandages, and Steve was unsure if it could take too much more disappointment.

Looking at his clock, his date was supposed to be here any minute… wait. No, he was supposed to be here ten minutes ago. He couldn’t help but wonder why the hell he even bothered showing up to these things anymore. Steve could change a lot of things, but he couldn’t change how familiar the disappointment felt. Every time.

**

“Peggy, that’s the last time you’re ever allowed to set me up,” Steve said, staring into the slice of pizza in front of him. Pizza was better than any boy ever had been – the only pain pizza had ever caused him was from being too hot. That was definitely a cruel offence, but that didn’t mean he didn’t still love it.

“Steve, I don’t know what to tell you. I swear, this guy was super into you. I showed him that one photo of you from the beach party, and he said he had to meet you.”

“The shirtless one?”

“Yeah! The one that no man with eyes would ever be able to resist. Seriously, have you seen how much good the gym has done your body? Fuck’s sake.”

Steve couldn’t help but groan. “So, he just wanted me for a fun night, then?”

“No, I imagine he wanted several fun nights! I’m sure he’d had plans for outside the bedroom, as well,” she said, as if that made the situation any better. “He even told me he was looking forward to meeting you, just this morning, in fact!”

“How’d you even meet this guy?”

“He’d been at the grad student mixer. He seemed friendly enough, bought me a coffee last week, comes to lectures most of the time. I’m not sure, he was delightful enough. I was under the impression he’d certainly be charming. At the very least, he’d charm your pants off for a night, no doubt. Apparently, you can’t trust princes.”

“Considering how Prince Charming was really creepy in the original story, yeah, I’d have to say no to the prince-trusting. Besides, I don’t need a prince, I just need a buachaillín breá.”

“Ugh, now I know you’re in a bad mood. You never use Irish when you’re in a happy mood.”

“Not true! Níl ceart agat!”

“Sure,” she said, clearly not believing him. “While you wallow in your puddle of denial, where’s James?”

James Buchanan Barnes, also known as Bucky, was practically Steve’s brother – they’d been together since elementary school, and Buck was always willing to go along with Steve. Although he didn’t need it much anymore, Bucky had always been there to come to Steve’s rescue – although he’d been scrappy, he’d also been prone to pick fights with bullies. Barnes had saved Steve from more than a few black eyes. And several handfuls of broken ribs.

“I think he’s out with that girl from his Russian class and her friend tonight, but I’m not sure.”

“Ah, yes. The Angry Assassin Squad.”

Steve wasn’t sure if it was short for Natalia or Natasha, but ever since Buck had meet Nat, she’d been regularly dragging him out on Friday afternoons. It had started as a few hours out, with Buck always coming back out-of-breath, sweaty, and with a massive smile – nowadays, Bucky was rarely back past two in the morning, if he even came back at all. Although he regularly denied having any interest in Nat, they still gave him hell for disappearing into the night with a mysterious lady. They were assholes like that.

“I’d love to know what they get up to,” Peggy said, voicing a question that was commonly asked on Friday nights. Although she pretended otherwise, it was pretty clear that she missed having him around on Friday nights.

Steve’s phone buzzed, and he couldn’t help but laugh. “Speak of the devil.”

_Buck_

_How’d the date go?_

_Don’t answer that if you’re not wearing pants. Go continue not wearing pants._

_Steve_

_Still fully clothed_

_Buck_

_Did it not go well_

_Steve_

_He’d have to show up for it to go well_

_Buck_

_Ouch_

_You should just come hang with us_

_Better than wallowing_

_Steve_

_I do no wallow!_

_Can Peggy come?_

_Buck_

_Only if you admit you wallow_

_Steve_

_Fine…_

_Buck_

_Great. Now get your ass over here._

_Steve_

_Where is here?_

**

Twenty minutes later, Steve and Peggy got out of their Uber at an unfamiliar apartment complex. His date might have been a disaster, but at least he’d get some answers about the Angry Assassin Squad. At least, he hoped he would. He also hoped the name didn’t mean they’d kill him. Bucky wouldn’t let that happen. Right?


	2. A Big Gay Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for disappearing! I moved across the world, started writing the next chapter, moved like five more times, and then got evacuated from where I was living because of Corona. So. Special thanks to L. Goaoc, who commented on this fic and reminded me that I never really did anything with it!
> 
> As always, unbeta'd.

**Bucky**  
James Buchanan Barnes was many things before he lost his arm. He’d been charming, funny, full of smiles, and a helluva ladies’ man. Or a men’s man, although that hadn’t been common knowledge back then. He had been captain of the football team, one of the top debaters in the state, and an A.P. scholar – there really hadn’t been much he hadn’t had going for him. Plus, he had the best best friend in the world.

He hadn’t fully appreciated just how lucky he’d been before the accident, though. Losing his arm had changed him – he often thought that losing his arm had broken him, but his therapist didn’t like to use words like “broken” or “destroyed.” That didn’t really stop him, though. Stevie hated it too, but he wasn’t as vocal as Dr. Coulson. In fact, when it came to Steve, the only time he wasn’t vocal was when he was supporting Bucky.

Pre-accident Bucky had been as warm and cuddly as a teddy bear; however, post-accident Bucky was much more like the real thing. Gruff, rough around his jagged edges, and more than a bit terrified of the world. At the start of the summer before college, he could barely leave the house – there was too much uncertainty, too little protection. However, no one could ever say he wasn’t stubborn. In spite of his parents’ wishes, he packed up his things and moved to a new town to study. His therapist (that he’d been seeing almost every day that summer and definitely paid attention, thankyouverymuch) had said it would probably not be a catastrophe. That was good enough for him.

Coming to college, he was worried that he wouldn’t be able to fit in. His lifeline, Steve, had been placed in a different dorm – in spite of his mom’s best efforts, he wasn’t able to live with the one person who’d helped keep him sane. When he looked at his room assignment and saw his roommate was someone named “Anthony Stark,” he almost had a panic attack. He found it very important to let it be known that he did not, in fact, have a panic attack at that moment – that doesn’t mean he wasn’t close, though.

Flash forward to now, and junior-year Bucky didn’t remotely resemble the boy who’d first stepped foot on campus. For the most part.

He’d be lying if he said he didn’t still go to therapy twice a week, and he couldn’t truthfully say that the start of new semesters, full of classes with strangers, didn’t give him a bit of anxiety. However, he’d managed to survive this long – mostly with the help of Steve and Tony, and occasionally Natalia/Natasha/the terrifying woman Tony called his friend. Sometimes.  
****  
For junior year, he’d found himself in a bit of a predicament. Tony, who’d been as brilliant as he was kind (of an asshole), had moved in with his… Bucky didn’t quite know what was going on between the three of them, but he did know that he was not invited to move into their one-bedroom apartment with them. After spending a year with his room sharing a painfully thin wall with Tony’s, he didn’t want to, either.

Tony didn’t just abandon him, though. He’d arranged for Bucky to have a place in Natasha’s house. Unfortunately, he hadn’t had the chance to introduce Bucky to Natasha’s band of misfits – he hadn’t even been himself. He hadn’t told Bucky that, though.

Luckily, Natasha, her sophomore-friend-who-was-actually-a-bit-older-than-them Clint, and her freshmen friends Pietro and Wanda had been more than welcoming. In their own, unique way.

Natasha would nod when she walked in the room, she always had coffee ready for him, and she’d sometimes help him practice his Russian. In the two weeks since he’d moved in, he could already tell she’d had an impact on his ability to speak.

Wanda, a freshman who’d somehow managed to avoid living in the dorms, had complimented him on his progress. She was a lot more manageable than her brother, preferring to read and write in her room. She had already made Bucky a blanket for his bed, and she cooked just about every meal they had in the house. A future Ph.D., for sure.

Pietro, tall, muscled, lavender-blonde, and a royal pain in the ass, never sat still. He was always running around, chasing his own shadow. He was witty, more of a dick than Tony, and looked good wearing only a towel or his running shorts. Bucky really couldn’t complain – he just wished the kid came with a mute button.

Clint… he didn’t really know much about. He’d been there when Bucky moved in, and he walked into the kitchen most mornings around noon, looking like a zombie. Natasha had purchased a special coffee machine for Clint – this was because Clint often drank directly from the pot. By often, Bucky meant always. Afterwards, he either went back into his room and stayed there or left the house for several hours.

Tonight, Clint wasn’t around. Piet, Wands, Natasha, and he were all sharing pizza after a fantastic round of laser tag. The four of them had made an amazing team, and they were pretty sure they could win their college championship that year. Natasha had said Clint made things even better, but he was nowhere to be seen.

That hadn’t stopped Natasha from ordering more pizza than Bucky had thought possible, though. So, when Steve’s date bailed, it seemed like sharing pizza was the best thing to do. When Steve and Peggy got to the door, Natasha was the first one up. Err… Second. Pietro was the first one up, but, being the overexcited, overgrown toddler he is, ran to open the door but missed. So badly, that he accidentally jumped through the open window, into their rose bush.

Wait, why was that window open in the first place?

“Oh my! Are you okay,” Peggy’s voice carried through the open window.

“Fine, fine, all fine,” Pietro responded in his comfortably accented English.

Natasha opened the door, looking less than impressed. “You’re lucky I already de-thorned the rose bush, hlupák.”

Steve asked, “Is he okay?”

Natasha nodded and gestured for everyone to come inside. “Through the door, this time, Piet. Save the window-jumping for Clint.”

Once everyone was seated on one of the many couches in the living room – Bucky didn’t understand where all the couches were from or how they fit in the room, but he figured he didn’t want to know. Wanda was basically magic, and it seemed like she learned everything from Natasha.

“So, Steve. Peggy. Let me introduce you to the twins. This is Pietro, and that’s Wanda. Clint, our other roommate, should be getting back any moment now,” Natasha said, a sly grin on her face. “He didn’t know anyone was coming over, so apologies in advance for anything he does.”

Steve laughed, and then he said, “Nice to meet you two. And I’m sure it’ll be nice to meet Clint, too. Bucky said he’s not around much, is that right?”

Wanda said, “Yes. He’s off doing his own thing most of the time. He’s always around campus, though.”

Steve nodded. Then, Pietro, being full of tact and social intelligence, asked, “So, Steve, I heard your date didn’t show, right?”

Steve’s smile dropped, and Bucky launched a pillow at Pietro’s face. His aim was perfect – he knocked Pietro off the side of the couch, and the runner landed on his face with a satisfying bang. “Fuck you!”

Bucky was sure he could hear Natasha and Wanda mutter, “Deserved it.”

But they would never. At least, not loud enough for anyone to hear. Obviously. Rolling her eyes, Wanda said, “Apologies for my brother. We’re not sure how he made it into college, considering I don’t think he’s ever used his brain before.”

“Fuck you, too!”

Steve chuckled through his frown. “It’s okay. Yeah, Peggy here set me up on a date, but the guy didn’t show. Not even a text.”

While he didn’t say anything, Bucky knew he was blaming the other guy’s flakiness on how he used to look. Steve had always said that he’d never be able to nab a guy, at least not in college. In the world of college dating, especially gay college dating, looks mattered more than either of them wanted to admit – and while Steve had transformed into an Adonis practically overnight, that didn’t stop his reputation of being a scrawny punk. Bucky hated the guys that had left Steve feeling like he’d never be good enough. Fuckin’ assholes.

Peggy patted Steve’s knee, then said, “It appears I won’t be giving him any help this semester. I know we were slated to take a history class together. Good luck to his sorry arse.”

Natasha asked, “Out of curiosity, what was his name?”

“Pierce. Alexander Pierce.”

“With a name like that, it kinda sounds like he was an asshole anyway,” Pietro decided to add. While probably not the most helpful comment, his solidarity with Steve was appreciated, thought Bucky.

“Thanks. Pietro, right? You’re lucky, you probably won’t have any issues dating here on campus,” Steve lamented.

“Why is that,” Wanda asked. Pietro looked just as confused.

“Muscles, looks, all that. Campus can be kind of superficial.”

“Ah, well. Then those sorry fucks can get intimately acquainted with their hands. I don’t do assholes. The only dicks I’m interested are attached to nice guys, and even then. I live with these three, I don’t need any more jerks in my life,” Pietro said, smiling fondly at his roommates. “Besides, I’m a freshman. I’ll let my course load fuck me, I don’t need anyone else to help it.”

Bucky laughed – although eloquent he was not, Pietro’s unapologetic nature was refreshing and welcome. He hadn’t bothered hiding that he was gay, and he often wore rainbow running pants. When Bucky had first seen them, he’d worried someone might give Pietro the wrong kind of trouble. After seeing the kid run, he was a lot less concerned – they’d have to catch him, first. And as the future star of the cross country and track teams, Pietro would be just fine getting away.

They all laughed at that. Peggy said, “It’s admirable that you’re so open about yourself, Pietro. Congratulations on having that peace within yourself.”

“I’m a Sokovian orphan, I’ve lived with war and conflict my whole life. I’ll take any peace I can get,” Pietro said easily. Bucky had shared a couple of cups of hot chocolate with the kid, knowing that he didn’t always sleep the best. Nightmares got in the way of a healthy sleep schedule, unfortunately. “Besides, we’re one big gay family in this house.”

Natasha laughed at that. Before anyone could say anything else, there was a loud crash. It sounded like it came from the second floor, probably near where Clint’s room was.

Steve and Peggy both looked alarmed. “Did someone just break in?”

“Yeah, that was Clint. Wanda, can you text him and let him know we’ve got guests?”

Before she could pick up her phone, a very shirtless Clint Barton walked down the stairs and went straight for the pizza. Everyone stared at him as he slowly realized that he was now the center of attention – and that there were two new eyes on him. Pizza half hanging out of his mouth, he asked, “Hey guys… Um. Nice to meet you. Who are you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this chapter is a lot more expository and introducing the characters in Bucky's life. BUT - we'll start getting to that great Steve/Clint content soon. 
> 
> I'm hoping to start posting once or twice a week. It really depends on my study schedule.


	3. Cakes, cakes, cakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint feels bad about not having interacted with Bucky sooner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is a day late - sorry! I'll try and do better about sticking to Wednesdays as my update days for this story. I'm also planning on starting another Avengers story, mixing in some Kingdom Hearts fun as well. But that doesn't matter. 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

**Clint**  
It had been two weeks since Clinton Barton had walked into the common room in nothing but a towel, almost as naked as the moment he’d been born. He’d gotten a lot taller since then, but whatever.

He’d forgotten about it. It wasn’t like his life wasn’t full of mess-ups, mistakes, and plans gone wrong. He was kind of a disaster like that. He’d walked into the room, enjoyed one slice of magnificent pizza, realized that people other than Tash and the twins were in the room, and had mumbled his usual, “Aww, clothes. No…”

He had better things to do than worry about how he’d almost shown his ass to Bucky and… his friends? Wait, had he shown his ass? Clint didn’t really know. If he was being honest, he didn’t really care. He had a nice ass. He didn’t have a lot going for him, but he knew he had a good ass. People underestimate just how much good being a circus runaway does to a body. It’d been a good few years since he’d been a carnie, but that didn’t mean he gave up the training routine.

Which is why, when Natasha walked into his room and found him reading a book while standing on one hand, she didn’t bother commenting on it. Nat was great like that.

“So, nice to see you wearing clothes again. Think you’ll keep it up this time?”

Never mind. Nat was awful.

“Hey, how was I supposed to know you had friends over?”

“So all it takes to get you to wear clothes is strangers?”

“Unless they’re cute, yeah. If they’re cute, I’m hoping they won’t be wearing much either,” he said, with a wink. He was working on becoming a bisexual icon – he just needed to get the hang of Twitter.

“Ouch, I’ll have to let Bucky know you think he’s not cute.”

“Bucky?”

“Our fifth roommate. The one to whom you still haven’t formally introduced yourself.”

“Oh! Murder glare! Yeah, I still need to talk to him, don’t I.”

“We’ve been here a month, Clinton.”

Futz, had it really been a month? He’d been so focused on practicing archery and prepping for his classes that he’d completely missed the passage of time. Aw, antisocial behavior, no….

“Also, we never addressed the fact that you broke into your own room. Please, dearest brother of mine, explain to me why you felt the need to ignore the front door? If you felt the need to practice your B&E, we should have given you the room on the first floor.”

“Shit, has it really been a month? Well, sounds like I better give him an apology then. Think he wants a cake? I can make a cake.”

“I’m sure he’d love a cake,” she said, looking equally exasperated at and fond of the blond mess in front of her. She loved Clint, he knew it. Probably.

***

  
“So, you never explained the whole breaking and entering thing.”

“I thought it might be fun!”

“You thought it might be fun to break into your own room?”

“Yeah, I hadn’t done it in this house yet.”

There was a loud sigh.

“Pass me the vodka.”

“Can you even legally drink yet?”

“I’m Russian. Besides, since when have you cared?”

“Fair point.”

***

  
**Steve**  
For two weeks now, Steve couldn’t seem to get the blond guy out of his head. When he’d asked Bucky for more information, all he’d gotten in return was, “He’s a bit of a reclusive dick.”

“So, he probably won’t be around tonight?”

Bucky shook his head. They’d made a tradition of playing video games after the first day of every semester and ordering takeout – always wherever Bucky lived. At the beginning, he had really struggled with life at college, and he’d always preferred being able to come back to his space. He was doing better, but Steve recognized the way he was starting to hunch into himself. So, it was off to Bucky’s place for their traditional video game marathon.

“He’s never really around. I’ve seen him maybe all of three times. Including when you were there. Not really sure what he does with his time.”

“Do you think he works a ton?”

“Don’t really care enough to think about it, Stevie. Why, you got a crush,” Buck asked, grinning.

That grin only grew when Steve blushed, effectively revealing the secret.

“Holy shit, you totally do! I know that look, Rogers! You’ve been busy fantasizing about my roommate!”

As much as Steve hated the attention, he was glad Bucky was smiling and laughing – the first day of the semester never started well, so it was a welcome deviance to the norm. However, he wasn’t above dishing it out, either. “Yeah, Barnes? I saw how you were looking at Natalia, you can’t tell me you don’t think she’s gorgeous.”

Opening the door, Bucky said, “Please, even your gay ass can’t tell me she’s not gorgeous.”

“Who’s gorgeous,” a feminine voice called out from the kitchen. Natalia turned the corner, a smirk on her face.

She’d definitely heard them talking. Did that mean Clint heard, too?

To his credit, Bucky didn’t stumble. “My history TA this semester. She’s a real looker.”

Steve couldn’t help but laugh – Peggy was the TA for that class. From the look on Natalia’s face, it looked like she was aware of that fact as well. From what Bucky had told him about her, there wasn’t anything she didn’t know.

“I agree, Ms. Carter was quite beautiful when I met her,” she said, smiling. “Why don’t you boys stop by the kitchen, Clint’s been baking.”

She turned, and the boys followed, curious. Waiting for them was Clinton Barton – clothed, this time. Unfortunately. However, his smile was wide and friendly – a welcome change from the last time Steve had seen him. His smile was much more beautiful than the confused grimace he’d sported before. On the counter next to him was an ocean of cakes.

“Hi roommate! Oh, hi roommate’s friend! I realized I hadn’t introduced myself or talked to you or really done anything friendly-like since you moved in and that’s a dick move of me so I figured I’d make you an apology cake. Anyway, I’m glad you moved in and you’re way better than Rumlow or any of the other ghouls who’d been here and Nat says you’re super funny and I’d know that if I bothered to ever leave my room or be at the house and yeah… I’m rambling, sorry!”

All in all, it was a fairly touching gesture, Steve thought.

Bucky looked a bit shocked – he’d been telling Steve that he was convinced he’d never meet the other roommate.

“Nat said you were allergic to nuts, so I made a walnut-free carrot cake, a red-velvet cake, a vanilla cake, a chocolate cake, a coffee cake, an apple crumble, and some cinnamon rolls. I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I made a… table of samplers.”

Bucky wasn’t allergic to anything – Steve was the one who’d been allergic to nuts. However, he was pretty sure that Natalia knew that. He’d outgrown the allergy over the summer, though. Her intel was probably a bit old… Just where did she find it out?

“Thanks, that’s real kind of you. I’m James Barnes, but call me Bucky. This here’s Steve Rogers, my best friend. It’s good to finally meet you, too.”

Clint winced when Bucky said finally. Steve guessed he was probably feeling a bit guilty. To be fair, he probably should feel a bit guilty.

“Clint, why don’t you let the boys cut slices of the cake and help them carry them to Bucky’s room,” Natalia asked.

“Right, knives. Here.”

  
***

“How did Natalia know I was allergic to nuts,” Steve asked, once they were in Bucky’s room.

“It’s Nat, she knows everything,” Clint said, shrugging. “Besides, I’d recommend not calling her Natalia. It’s kinda like calling you Steven instead of Steve – I’d double check with her, but you’re probably better off caller her Natasha.”

“Russian nicknames,” Bucky exclaimed.

“Yeah, Russian nicknames! Anyway, she prefers that people call her Natasha. If she likes you, she might let you get away with calling her Nat or Tasha, but I wouldn’t push your luck. Natasha’s your best bet. Anyway, I’ll let you both enjoy the cake,” Clint said, smiling. “Sorry again for taking so long to finally welcome you to the family, Barnes. Can’t promise I’ll be around much, but you deserve a proper welcome. And nice to meet you…”

“Steve.”

“Nice to meet you, Steve. Have fun!”

As Clint left the room, Steve turned to the plethora of plates, in awe. “That is… a lot of cake.”

Bucky grabbed the first slice – it looked like part of the carrot cake. “Fuck, the man’s a baking genius. You gotta try this, Stevie.”

Putting the cake in his mouth, Steve couldn’t help but agree. Clinton Barton may not have the best socialization skills, but he certainly could bake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a bit shorter than I'd intended, sorry! I'll work on doing a better job outlining the next few chapters and story so that they get a bit longer. Currently, I'm expecting 10+ chapters, looking at Steve, Bucky, Clint, Nat, Wanda, Pietro, and the rest of the gang.
> 
> As you can see, each character has a few names/nicknames. So far:
> 
> Bucky - James / Bucky / Barnes  
Natasha - Nat / Natasha / Tasha / Natalia  
Clint - Clint / Clinton  
Steve - Steve / Stevie / Rogers  
Pietro - Pietro / Piet  
Wanda - Wanda / Wands
> 
> There will be more, but I'll keep a running list at the end of every chapter to help keep things straight. 
> 
> Should I link the other story, once I start writing it? Not sure if it'll be Steve/Clint or not, but it've been planning it for a while!


End file.
